Motor vehicle cover



5 Sheets-Sheet l R. H. FOWLER MOTOR VEHICLE COVER NhfWN May 1o, 1949.

Filed Jan. 153, 1946 ATTORNEY S WITNESSES:

May 10, 194,9.v R. H. FOWLER' Mo'ToRyEHICLE COVER Filed Jan. 1s, 194e 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NToR` oure/ 4x4. ATTORNEYS.

7] WITNEssEs;

4M i o-MM.

May 10, 1949 R. H. FowLER 2,469,958

MOTOR VEHI CLE COVER Filed Jan. 1.8, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS lNVE TOR Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOR VEHICLE COVER Roy H. Fowler, Beaver Falls, Pa. Application January 18, 1946, Serial No. 641,881

3 Claims. (Cl. 296-105) This invention relates to motor vehicle covers and more particularly to tarpaulins for covering truck bodies and trailers.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a motor Vehicle cover which can be extended or collapsed in order to cover or to uncover the vehicle, which can be operated from one end of the vehicle, which is -dependable in operation, and which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction.

In accordance with this invention a pair of spaced horizontal rails are mounted on opposite sides of a truck body or a truck trailer. Slidably mounted on each of these rails is a plurality of normally spaced supporting members or brackets. Parallel ribs arch up over the space between the rails and have their ends supported by the brackets. These ribs support a tarpaulin which is attached to them. Extending lengthwise of the rails are endless means, such as endless chains, which are fastened to the brackets at one end of the rails. Means is provided for driving the chains so that they will slide the brackets to which they are connected toward the opposite end of the rails in order to move all the ribs toward that end to uncover the vehicle. The driving means may include a manually operable crank for turning the sprockets that support the chains. The rails may be mounted on either the inside or the outside of the vehicle body.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a truck or 4trailer body provided with my cover; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification of the invention; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further modification; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the body of a truck or trailer has parallel side walls l connected at the front end by an end wall 2 and spanned at the rear end by a gate 3. Extending horizontally along the outer surface of each side wall is a rail 4 which projects -a short distance from the front end of the body. As shown in Fig. 2, the tw-o rails are connected to side walls I by means of bolts 6 which have countersunk heads and which carry spacers 1 that space the rails from the side walls. Nuts 8 on the inner ends of the bolts fasten them to the body.

Slidable longitudinally of each rail is a series of brackets 9 each of which has .a c-shape body which holds it on the rail, as shown in Fig. 2, and a pair of spaced vertical lugs Il) projecting from the outer surface of the body. Th-e brackets on each rail are disposed opposite to those on the other rail so as to form cooperating pairs of brackets.

Disposed in the spaces between the lugs on each of these pairs of brackets 9 are the ends yof a rib Il which arches over the space between the side walls of the truck body. These ribs can lbe made from curved pipes. They are connected to the brackets by means of horizontal bolts I2 that extend through aligned transverse openings in the lugs and ribs. Normally the brackets and the ribs that they support are spaced apart equal distances lengthwise of the rails. The ribs support a t-arpaulin I3 which is attached to them in any suitable manner, such as by clips I4. The tarpaulin is wide enough to overlap the sides of the truck body, and the front end of the tarpaulin is fastened to the front end of the body.

It is a feature of this invention that al1 of the ribs can be moved toward one end of the truck body in order to collapse the tarpaulin to uncover .the body. Accordingly, a horizontal shaft I6 is journaled in the projecting front ends of rails 4, and sprockets I1 are rigidly mounted on opposite ends of this shaft. Similar sprockets I8 are rotatably supported by the rear ends of the rails, and an endless chain I9 extends along each rail and around the sprockets supported by it. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, another sprocket 2l is rigidly mounted on shaft I6 near one end where it supports an endless chain 22 that also extends around a sprocket 23 carried by a projecting plate 24 attached to the lower front corner of the truck body. This lower sprocket can be turned by a crank 26 so that shaft I6 and the sprockets I'I on its ends will be turned. This causes the chains to travel along the rails. These chains are connected to the pair of brackets 9 at the rear end of the rails by means of lugs 21 projecting above those two brackets. The rest of the upper strand of each chain rests loosely on the remaining brackets, while the lower strand of the chain may be supported by a horizontal .tube 28 mounted on the side of the body below the adjacent rail.

When it is desired to uncover the truck body the crank 26 at the front is turned in a counterclockwise direction. This causes the upper strands of chains I9 to move forward and to slide the rear pair of Ibrackets 9 forward along the rails with them. These brackets strike -a pair of brackets in front of them, the former push the latter forward until they strike the next pair, and

so on until all of the brackets an-d ribs are grouped together at the front end of the body. The tarpaulin, being flexible, collapses or folds up as this occurs. It can be extended over the body again by merely turning the crank in a clockwise direction so that the rear rib will be pulled by the chains connected to it toward the rear ends of the rails. As soon as the section of the .tarpaulin between the rear rib and the next rib is pulled taut, this sectionwill lpull-the second rib` along-with"the rst one. "This continues from rib to rib until the tarpaulin has been fully extended again. If the truck body sides should be Ibulged out in such a way as to tilt brackets 9, this will not cause the ribs to make the brackets` bind on the rails, because bolts l2` willpermit the brackets to pivot relative to the ribs.

In some cases it may be.r desirable ito'mount rails 4 inside the truck or trailer body, especially when the body has a rounded front end. In such a case the shaft I6 at the front end of the rails Aandy the chain 22 through which the crank turnsit, likewise are mounted inside the body.

It is desirable, however, that the lowerside edges ofthe tarpaulin extend. out over the-tops of sidewalls l of the body. Therefore', as shown in Fig. 4, the tarpaulin-supporting ribs 3| are -provided with lateral extensions 32 thatproject outwardly and downwardly outside of the body.

'The side edges of the tarp-aulin are supported by 'these extensions, so that it will overlap the -side vwalls of thebody.

In case the truck or trailer has merelyI a floor with no sidewalls, the'rails 4 can be attached -to the opposite side edges of the'oor; and the rails. These chains pass around sprockets 43 supported by extension plates M' welded ltoit-he opposite vends ofthe pipes. The two sprockets at the front ends' of the rails are mounted rigidly on a connecting shaft 116. A third sprocket 47 Arigidly mounted on this shaft carries a chain `4.8 which passes around a drivesprocketlnot shown) rotatably mounted in the lower part of the body. The drive'sprocket can bel turned by a-removable cra-nk which can be inserted Ain an opening through the side of the body.

- Extending across the top of the ,body is a plurality oi-arched parallel-ribs i by which `atar- Vpaulin 52 is supported abovethe body. Theends of'these ribs are connected to supporting meinbers which lare mounted on the rails. {Each-supporting member has va base made'iiom .a short pipe section 53 which is'slidably mounted inside one of the tubular rails 35. Projecting fromthis -pipe section lup through thev slot in the railis an angle members 54 the upper leg of'whichexltends along the bottom oi the adjacent rib and has a bifurcated-upperyend 4straddlingthe rib.

This leg and the ribare provided `with aligned openings, `one fof whichiis oversize,` throughwhich ma bolt55 extendsrfor connectingthetwotogether. ZBetween the -anglefmeinber and the nut 51 on `'the'-:b'olt there :is a. lcoi'npressed coili'ysprifng '558 which holds the rib rmly against the angle member, but which allows relative movement between them when necessary in order to keep the supporting members from binding in the tubular 5 rails.

The chains 42 extend through the pipe sections 53 of the supporting members and are rigidly connected in any suitable manner to the supporting members at the rear end of the rails so that ....tney.will.,be pulled forwardprbackward along zftherailsifwhen*the chainsz-are driven. ITo take the strain oi the tarpaulin while it is being extended over the vehicle body, the rib-supporting members may be connected by flexible tension -15.mem'bers, such as chains 60, which pull the ribs away from .one another as the pipe sections 53 are pulled rearwardly in tubes 35 by chains 42. .The:tension..chains .$0 are connected by bolts 62 to lugs 6| secured to the angle members 54.

'According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction -of l my "invention and have illustrated and' described what Ifnow consider to represent its best embodiment. However, vI vdesire `to have it understood that,- `within-the scope of `the appended iclaims, the invention may bepracticed otherwise V than as Vspecificallyv illustrated and described.

I- claim:

1. A-motor vehicle-cover `comprising a pair-of spaced horizontal rails adapted to be` mounted on oppositesidesfof a vehic1e,each of saidA rails being in the fformof a tube having a yslot extending `lengthwiseofits top, a -plurality of normally `spaced `short pipe sections slidably mounted inside each tube, endless chains extending lengthwiser through the tubes `and pipe sections, 1said chains being Vconnected to said pipe sections at one-end Yof ythe tubes, parallel ribs extending Aacross theyspace between-the rails, bracketsl cony-nected vto said Apipe sections yand extending through'said tubeslotssaid brackets supporting the ends of the-ribs Vand provided with bifurcated -endsstraddling the ribs, fastening members extending through lthe ribs and brackets for connecti-ngthe ribs to said brackets', agtarpaulin supported above said space bythe ribs to Awhich it is attached,l `and `means-'formoving :the chains `lengthwise ofthe tubes to slide said pipe sections toward oneend of thetubesgfor moving the tarpaulinesupporting `ribs toward that end to uncover 'the'vehicle 2. A vehicle cover comprising a pairof spaced horizontal rails each in the formof a tube having a^slot,pextending lengthwise of it, a plurality of normal-ly `spaced short'v pipe sections slidably mounted inside ofeach rail, a substantially horizontal pipe below each rail, vertical'plates rigidly connecting'the pipes to the Arails above .themand .adapted to bel mounted on opposites'ides of a vehicle, abracket secured to the side ,of ea-ch. pipe Sectionand extending out. throughltheyslot in the adjoining rail, ,thethckness `of vsaid bracket ,being materially lless'than the width of the` slot -(55 topermit'the adjoining pipe sectionand rail to turn relative to each other, parallel ribs extending across .the space between the rails-and overlapping the upper surfaces of, the outerendsof saidbrackets, said overlapping .endsof thev ribs and brackets being provided with. aligned openings extending "transversely and downwardly .,therethrough, 4a fasteningl member .extending .through each.l pair of said aligned .openings Lfor flexibly, connecting ,a `rib and Abracket .,togethcver,v .a tar-paulin .supported .75 aboye. ,said space.. bylthe .ribs to. which ..it..is. at-

tached, bearing members rigidly connected to the opposite ends of said rails, sprockets rotatably mounted in said bearing members, endless chains extending around the sprockets, each chain having an upper strand extending lengthwise through the adjacent rail and the pipe sections therein and having a lower strand extending through the pipe below, the upper strands of the chains being connected to said pipe sections at one end of the rails, and means for turning the sprockets to cause the chains to slide said pipe sections toward one end of the rails for moving the tarpaulin-supporting ribs toward that end to uncover the vehicle.

3. A motor vehicle cover comprising a pair of spaced horizontal rails adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of a vehicle, each of said rails being in the form of a tube having a slot extending lengthwise of its top, a plurality of normally spaced short pipe sections slidably mounted inside each tube, endless chains extending lengthwise through the tubes and pipe sections, said chains being connected to said pipe sections at one end of the tubes, parallel ribs extending across the space between the rails, brackets connected to the tops of said pipe sections and extending through said tube slots and upwardly above the tubes, the upper portions of the brackets supporting the ends of the ribs, fastening members extending through the ribs and brackets to connect them together, laterally projecting lugs connected to the sides of the brackets above the tubes, tension members connecting the lugs and held thereby beyond the side of the underlying tube, a tarpaulin supported above the space between the rails by means of the ribs to which it is attached, and means for moving the chains lengthwise of the tubes to slide said pipe sections toward one end of the tubes for moving the tarpaulin-supporting ribs toward that end to uncover the vehicle.

ROY H. FOWLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

